Both of my dogs are hospital therapy dogs, visiting patients and staff and spreading cheer and comfort. While most people are delighted to see a tail-wagging pup prancing down the hospital halls, some people wonder why an animal is in the hospital. When you’re a therapy dog handler, you can think of lots of great answers to the question, “Why is there a dog in the hospital?”

• “The CAT scanner was broken, so we called in the dog.”

• “He’s a new cost saving initiative –he works for dog bones.”

• “What?! A dog?! Why I thought this new intern was a little too hairy.”

The real answer, of course, is because dogs and other pets who do therapy work provide healing calm, stress relief, and mood improvement that can substantially enhance medical treatments people are receiving while in the hospital.

Animal therapy may include a wide range of animals, most commonly pet dogs, cats, and rabbits. Animal therapy can also include horses and even dolphins. Medical research has shown substantial health benefits when animals are included as part of a therapy program. Here’s a sample of some studies proving the healing power of animal therapy:

• Adding an aquarium to the dining area of a nursing home facility for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease resulted in increased food intake and weight for 87 percent of people. The average person ate over 20 percent more of their food when eating in the room with the aquarium. Adding a photo of an aquarium to the room didn’t result in any improvements.

• Putting a therapy dog next to children being treated by a dentist significantly reduced the children’s anxiety reactions.

• Patients with advanced heart disease admitted to a cardiac care unit were visited by a friendly volunteer alone or with a therapy dog. Researchers measured stress hormones and heart function after visits. Measures of heart stress improved in both groups, with significantly better improvements after the dog visit.

• Studies in both outpatients with chronic pain and hospital patients show significant reductions in pain levels after spending 10-20 minutes petting a therapy dog.

Given the wide range of improvements that can occur from animal therapy, a better question might be, “Where’s the therapy dog and when will my mom/dad/brother get a visit?”

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Want to learn more about the pets you saw on the video? In order of appearance in the video, first up is Julie, our PetMeds Art Director.  Julie tells us about her dogs, Daisy and Buster:

Daisy (squirt) is a fluff ball of tremendous love and energy who wiggles around my office. Cradled by silky soft white fluff fur, you might think that you’ve seen Snuggles, the snuggly soft teddy bear from the laundry commercials come to life. She is smart as a whip and has already learned who in the office keeps a stash of treats for her when she comes visiting.  She loves a good tumble, wrestle, vigorous play, and LOVES to kiss your face all over. But when she tires out, she climbs into the lower level of a book shelf and passes out often with her head hanging off the edge. As a Shih Tzu, she has an irresistible sweet face and disposition, but Daisy also has an alpha dog spirit of conquer and play.

Buster, also a Shih Tzu, is the patriarch of the PetMeds family, although he is approaching only 9 years young (I call him my little man). He is the Mayor of the PetMeds family, and is wise to many things. He has a great sense for what treats and beds other furry friends like himself will like. He is very well behaved and always has time to pose for a shot. He has a great trick repertoire and you don’t even need to give him treats as a reward. His new sister is Daisy, and he is not sure all the time he likes having a new sister, but he is warming up to her, and when she is calm, he allows her to cuddle with him a bit. When not in search of treats, you can find him lying on his back with all 4 paws spread out snoring like crazy.

Vanessa, SEO Marketing Specialist, introduces us to Riley:

Riley is a 3 year-old Beagle that is also one of our toy and food testers since she’s become quite the expert. She’s an absolute sweetheart and loves being the center of attention. Unlike most Beagles, Riley doesn’t howl, but her sense of smell is always on point which has lead to some interesting stories. She’ll do just about anything you want for a treat. We recently adopted another Beagle, so she’s currently adjusting to the concept of sharing.

Bruce, PetMeds Chief Financial Officer, explains that Macy is the sister of Daisy.  Whenever Macy visits the office, she has a great time playing with Daisy.

Alex, Online Programs Director for PetMeds describes his dog, Raven:

Raven is a 5 year old Doberman Pinscher.  I adopted her from a family in Tennessee when she was 6 weeks old.  She looks fierce, but has the most sweet and gentle spirit you’ll ever find.  She loves watermelon, grapes, and racing next to me on my bike as fast as we can go.

PetMeds Marketing Director Bonnie tells us about her dog, Bella:

Bella is Director of Security for 1-800-PetMeds. When a new salesperson or visitor arrives, she promptly alerts us with three loud brief barks.  Her vigilance and prowess were most likely derived from her South American roots.  Born in the mountains of Medellin, Colombia, I adopted her at 8 weeks old and brought her into the US. Her hobbies include chasing lizards from sidewalks at PetMeds, laying in the sun, and sitting on a cat perch to look out the window for visitors. She also represents the 1% of dogs in palatability tests that snuff the best of treats which often dismays salespeople. Her favorite toys are a little orange stuffed fish named Guppy, and a miniature tennis ball. Even though she fronts a tough persona, she really is a sweet dove at heart.

Chris, PetMeds Advertising Director, introduces Gilly and Josh:

Josh is a 7 year old black Pekinese that my partner & I adopted 4 years ago.  He has the sweetest personality & loves to say hi to anyone walking by.  Speaking of walks, it’s his favorite thing to do & is ready to go whenever you are.  He loves laying on his back on every couch in the house & his favorite toy is our “Santa Max” stuffed animal.

Gilly is a 6 year old Scottish Terrier that my partner & I recently adopted in March.  She is a true hunter & is always looking for lizards, frogs & anything else that moves outside.  She’s a very independent girl, but also likes to lay between your legs & loves to have her belly rubbed before bedtime.  As for her favorite toy, she likes them all, as long as she can tear them apart.

We’d love to hear about your pets!

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1. Why We Are Thankful
2. Bella Talks About Dealing With Grief
3. My Magical Medicine

I know you are probably thinking, “But, Daisy, what anxiety do you have in your life?”  My stress is caused by a cat named Harley.  He is a maniac.  Need I say  more?

This box says “The Best Solution for Cat Anxiety” so I cannot wait to try it out!

I am feeling less stress already! I weigh about 8 pounds, so I got the size for cats 0-9 pounds.  I think a 0 pound cat might need food more than a Thundershirt! Anyway, even though the Thundershirt is supposed to fit snugly, I think the next size up would have fit me a little bit better on account of I got a big belleh.  Um, does this outfit make my hips look too big?

If you are a fashionable cat like me, you might notice that the Thundershirt is not very stylish.  You can easily fix this by adding an accessory like my pretty flowered headband to the outfit.

Now I just have to wait for a thunderstorm… or a Harley.

By the way, the Thundershirt comes in sizes for dogs, too!

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2. The Harley Monster
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May is National Service Dog Eye Examination Month. As part of a complete medical exam, every dog should have a complete ophthalmologic or eye exam as well. This often involves special instruments known as a direct and indirect ophthalmoscope, which are special hand held instruments needed for a thorough and complete eye exam. Veterinarians will also often first check to see if adequate tears are being produced in the eyes, as well as whether any scratches or ulcers on the cornea are present. Using the ophthalmoscope, the veterinarian will be able to look into the middle and back chambers of the eye, as well as check the health of the retina located at the back of the eye.

Very often topical anesthetic drops are placed on the eye, so that the veterinarian may check for glaucoma using a special device called a tonometer, which gives the doctor an accurate measurement of the intraocular pressure. Symptoms of common eye problems may include squinting of the eye, redness of the eye, as well as changes in the pupil size.  In certain diseases of the eye, swelling and/or pain may also be present, as well as in some cases a sunken in appearance may also appear. If these signs are noted, it is important to have a veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. Every pet should have a complete eye exam at least once yearly.

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2. PetMeds® Vision Problems in Dogs
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With the recent pet food recall of many brands of foods manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods, many animal guardians need to quickly make changes to new diets for their pets. There are several helpful guidelines when making a transition in your pet’s diet rapidly.  It is usually less stressful on the digestive tract to find a similar formula as to what your pet has been eating. For example, if your pet was eating a lamb and rice diet, it would be helpful to change to a similar one. Sometimes it can also be helpful to use a home-made diet of chicken and rice when changing a pet’s food as well to a new diet, by using 20% chicken and 80% rice. Finally, it may be helpful to use a good probiotic from the health food store or one such as Fast Balance G.I., in order to make sure that the bacterial population remain healthy during the time of a stress or dietary change.

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Later, as my coat got thinner, I began to wear pretty little dresses.  Then one dress led to another and then coats, and then pearl necklaces and pretty soon I became a fashionista.  It took me a little while to get used to it,  but I sure do turn heads:

This is a pretty little Halloween Pawty Dress, a friend’s Mommy made it just for me:

Whenever someone gets one of my Bella Blankies that benefit Southern California Pomeranian Rescue Mommy will take a picture of me modeling with the Blankie, and this one is especially nice:

This turned out to be a cute pose, with me trying to roll over:

This one shows my pretty smile:

I hope you have enjoyed these photos.  There are so many and it is hard to pick out just a few, but we saved the best for last.  This one is Mommy’s all-time favorite, and the one that she had made into a portrait of me because it is just so very pretty.  Mommy took all of these photos herself, and this is one of the very best:

Bella is the star of the PetMeds TV Commercial!

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Fortunately, with the increase in use of monthly heartworm preventative medication such as Interceptor or Heartgard, and/or natural herbal alternatives such as black walnut or quassia bark, the incidence of heartworm disease is decreasing. However, in stressful situations and/or in immune or nutritionally compromised patients, heartworm disease is still being diagnosed in most states. In decades past, heartworm was typically treated with a strong arsenical compound known as Caparsolate intravenously in the veterinary hospital setting. Side effects were common, including inflammation of the blood vessels (known as phlebitis) at the site of injection, as well as sometimes systemic signs including vomiting/diarrhea, coughing, liver/kidney complications, and even acute sudden death.

In recent years, veterinarians are using a safer more modern alternative known as immiticide which is typically given as a series of once-daily intramuscular injections over a few days. While the above side effects may still occur, the incidence of negative reactions is much reduced. During the month of treatment with immiticide, many heartworm positive dogs will also be treated with the antibiotic Doxycycline, which will kill other parasites known as Wolbachia, as well as decrease inflammation and the development of secondary bacterial infections.

In those pets that are geriatric or sick with other illnesses, some veterinarians will use monthly Interceptor or Heartgard in not only preventing heartworm infection, but in preventing the further development of heartworm larvae and microfilaria (baby heartworms) in heartworm positive dogs. When used in this fashion, after a period of 1-2 years of continuous monthly heartworm prevention use, many heartworm positive dogs will become negative. During that time it is important to restrict exercise and to monitor for rare side effects that dying heartworms may have on the body.

On the other hand, holistic veterinarians will work on strengthening the immune system of the pet through diet and nutritional supplementation with herbs including quassia bark, black walnut and hawthorne. Based on the individual constitution of the patient, homeopathic remedies also may be prescribed, which will help decrease susceptibility to secondary organ damage and systemic risk, in hopefully stimulating the pet’s ability to clear the heartworms on their own. No matter which approach is used, some form of conventional or natural heartworm preventative should be used to prevent re-infection in the future.

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Research studies consistently show that volunteering promotes better health and longer life. Volunteering promotes well-being and has  a protective effect against the development of mood problems. Volunteering has even been shown to prolong life. A study published earlier this year in the journal Health Psychology reported longer life spans among volunteers. This study followed over 10,000 high school graduates from their 1957 graduation until 2008. In 2008, 2 percent those who had volunteered during the previous 10 years had died, compared with 4 percent of non-volunteers. And among volunteers, risk of death was lowest for those volunteering regularly compared with occasional volunteers. Overall, chances of being alive in 2008 increased for each hour volunteered per month.

Volunteering is not just for the young and already very healthy individuals. A recent study from Arizona State University published in the International Journal of Aging and Human Development confirmed that younger and older adults get similar health benefits received from volunteering. Furthermore, benefits were even greater among people who themselves had chronic medical conditions, suggesting that having chronic illnesses shouldn’t necessarily prevent you from volunteering.

If you love pets, there are lots of great ways to combine your love of pets and getting health benefits from becoming a volunteer:

• Contact your local animal shelter about volunteer opportunities. You might become a dog walker or cat petter to enjoy spending time with lonely pets still looking for their forever homes.
• Look into animal-assisted therapy, where well-trained pets visit people in need to spread cheer and comfort. Studies consistently show marked health benefits for those receiving pet therapy visits and you’ll enjoy the special bond you’ll develop with your pet from sharing in this work. The American Kennel Club even offers a new Therapy Dog title. To get started investigating therapy dog work, visit the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen site and www.FitAsFido.com.
• Grab a leash and sign up for a charity walk. Lots of organizations use walks as fundraisers. Later this month, my terriers will enjoy a May weekend, walking with their friends in the Great Strides Walk to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
• Add your dogs to something you’re passionate about. My dogs and I have been deeply moved by the service and sacrifice of men and women serving in the military. One of the ways we say thank you is through our work with the Doggie Donation Corps – a motley group of dogs who use their cuteness to help beg for donations to help fund the training of service dogs for disabled Veterans through the Pawz For Wounded Veterans program.

How have your pets helped you get healthier through volunteering? I’d love to hear about your volunteering adventures.

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You have probably heard about the recall of certain pet foods manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in their manufacturing facility located in Gaston, SC.  However, the recall continues to be expanded.  The original three brands of recalled dry dog food recalled after samples tested positive for Salmonella were:

• Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice Formula for Adult Dogs
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula
• Diamond Puppy Formula

On May 3rd, the CDC reported a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Infantis in humans linked to dry dog food, which resulted in 14 people being infected in 9 different states. According to the company, no animals have been sickened. The CDC recommended that consumers check their homes for these products, and discard these products if found.

Most recently Diamond Pet Foods has voluntarily expanded their recall to include the following additional products manufactured in the Gaston plant:

• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
• Country Value
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Premium Edge
• 4Health
• Taste of the Wild
• Apex
• Canidae

How to tell if you have some of the recalled pet food? First, look for the production code on the pet food bag. If the 9^th or 10^th character on the Production Code is a 2 or a 3, followed by an X (2X or 3X), then that product is included in the recall. The recalled bags of pet food have a “Best Before Date” of December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

Additionally, last month Diamond Pet Foods recalled some Kirkland Signature brands sold at Costco.  The Kirkland Signature pet foods include the following products with a “Best Before Date” of December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013:

• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs

Wellpet, LLC, has also announced a voluntary recall of Wellness dry dog food which was produced at the Gaston, SC, facility linked to the Diamond Pet Foods recall. The product involved is

• Wellness Complete Health Super5 Mix Large Breed Puppy, 15 lb bags, 30 lb bags, and 5 oz sample bags with “Best By” dates of January 9, 2013 through January 11, 2013.

The manufacturer notes “The majority of Wellness natural products for pets are produced in WellPet’s own modern state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Mishawaka, Indiana. WellPet no longer purchases any products from Diamond Pet Foods.”

If you have any questions regarding whether your pet’s food is involved in the recall, you can contact Diamond Pet Foods at 1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST. Consumers may also go to a special website, diamondpetrecall.com, for more information.

The illness is contracted by people after handling the infected dog food and failing to wash their hands. Regardless of which food you give to your pets, it is always important to take precautions for safe handling of any pet food.

Update 05/08/12:

Natural Balance Pet Foods has issued a voluntary recall of some of their dry dog food which was manufactured at the Diamond Pet Foods Gaston, SC plant due to possible contamination with Salmonella. The recall includes selected bags of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog, Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog, Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog, and Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog brands.   The Natural Balance website maintains a list of the specific products included in the recall.

If you have this dog food, you are advised to dispose of it safely.  For additional information, contact Natural Balance Pet Foods Customer Service at (800) 829-4493 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PST.

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1. Making a Quick Pet Food Transition
2. PetMeds®: Food for Thought – Pet Nutrition
3. Aflatoxins and Pet Food

How do you like to spoil your pet?

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